Although the Warriors have hands down had the best home court advantage in the NBA over the past three incredible seasons, in reality the magic started to happen after the northern California squad upset the Dallas Mavericks as the 8-seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Dubbed as the “We Believe” year, the fan involvement and excitement surrounding the team has only increased in recent years with the surge of Stephen Curry, the drafting of Draymond Green, and the acquisition of Kevin Durant. Perhaps the only let down that the Warriors have experienced at home in recent memory was their Game 7 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Oakland last season.

Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Nicknamed as simply “The Q” to many around the league, the home to Lebron James has become one of the more festive environments in the league following his return home from Miami. The Cavaliers enjoyed the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs last year primarily due to their impressive 33-8 record in Cleveland, also going undefeated at home during the postseason. Surely this year will be a race to the top to edge the Warriors for the better overall record just in case we all get to see round 3 of the Warriors and Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

Moda Center (Portland Trailblazers)

Nestled in the Pacific Northwest, the Moda Center has quietly become one of the more explosive home atmospheres in the NBA today. Although the Trailblazers have not achieved much recent success in terms of championships and deep playoff runs, the city still enjoys their young, up-and-down style of play. Nicknamed Rip City, the Moda Center has actually saved the Trailblazers in recent memory as the club has posted some of the worst road records in the NBA over recent seasons. Damian Lillard has established himself as one of the elite point guards, and a fan favorite.

Chesapeake Energy Arena (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Despite losing NBA All-Star Kevin Durant during the offseason, the Chesapeake Energy Arena still serves as one of the top three home courts in the Western Conference in today’s league. Although one of the smallest markets in the entire association, Oklahoma City has proved to have the passion to account for twice as many fans as they have, this shows in their attendance figures and crowd noise. Chesapeake Energy Arena fell just short of history last season, when the Thunder held a 3-1 lead on the Golden State Warriors before eventually conceding three consecutive.

TD Boston Garden (Boston Celtics)

Although the Celtics have experienced a number of location and name changes for their arenas over the years, the teams legacy has produced some of the more recognizable battles in the history the sport. From the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson years to the recent battles between Paul Pierce and Lebron James, the Celtics have enjoyed a loyal fan base from the beginning, and in turn the team frequently posts positive results within their home confines. The Celtics posted a 28-13 home record last season which was good enough to land them at the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The NBA has four teams at the top of the heap who are worth quite a lot of money. These four teams are worth around four billion dollars alone, and they show the trend for rising value of teams in the NBA. The money spent to purchase NBA teams in the recent past has been out of control, but the league has more value than it ever did. TV money, overseas revenue and marketing of players makes these teams among the most valuable in sports. This article tells a tales of the Knicks, Celtics, Lakers and Bulls.

#1: The TV Markets

These teams are all in the top five TV markets in the country, and they derive quite a lot of their money from TV contracts. They are making money for the right to broadcast their games, and the Knicks are part of their own network at MSG. They have ensures they have money to spend, and the Lakers are not far behind. Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles and New York have enough money to go around in TV deals.

#2: The Knicks

The Knicks are valuable because they have have Madison Square Garden, they are in New York and they have a large fan base. There is no other reason for the team to be so valuable as they are terrible at the moment. Fans are railing against the team because of their bad play, but there is money to spend on bad contracts and worse hirings. The team has a long road to recovery, and it may not start today.

#3: The Bulls

The Bulls derive most of their value from the fact that Michael Jordan played for them. They have parlayed his mere existence into quite a lot of money, and the atmosphere in the United Center has not changed since Jordan retired. The team has not won a title since, but they have their fans ready to believe every year that this will be their year.

#4: The Celtics

The Celtics have the most history and tradition in the NBA. They have won the most titles, and they are located in the heart of the city. Players come to Boston hoping to reignite the passion of the city, and fans are serious in every way. They will show up to games, they will watch on TV. The Celtics have value tied up in a rabid fan family that would do anything to see them succeed, and they see their dedication returned in dollar signs every year.

#5: The Lakers And Showtime

The Lakers sit in Inglewood where they play in the Staples Center which is theirs alone. They allow the Clippers to use it, but it is their building. They were purchased for almost nothing by Dr. Buss, and they were turned into the most-popular team in the league. The Lakers are frequented by everyone from Jack Nicholson to Leonardo DiCaprio, and the team will continue to pile on new championships as they go from era to era with each new signing. They are without Kobe Bryant, but they are ready to revive themselves with young talent.

There are four valuable teams on this list who all derive their funds from TV contracts and their general popularity. The teams would not be popular if they did not win, and there is a winning tradition at the heart of each one. The Knicks must learn to win again, but the Bulls, Celtics and Lakers know what winning feels like. They simply rake in the cash as their ratings go up every year on the road to the NBA Finals.